Clemson’s defense has been far from perfect this season, but first-year coordinator Wesley Goodwin doesn’t believe his unit has lacked for the physical edge it’s been known for playing with over the years.
In Goodwin’s mind, there’s no better proof of that than what the Tigers are doing on the ground. Or perhaps the better way to say it was offenses aren’t doing much against Clemson.
The Tigers are allowing just 69.6 rushing yards per game, the fewest among Power Five teams. The only team in all of college football yielding less is James Madison (46.2), and only three teams are allowing fewer yards per carry than Clemson (2.42).
Even without the services of star defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (non-football medical issue) and edge defender Xavier Thomas (foot), Clemson was the best it’s been against the run its last time out. The Tigers made NC State one-dimensional over the weekend by limiting the Wolfpack to just 34 net yards on the ground and 1.6 yards per carry in its 30-20 win, easily season-lows for NC State.
For comparison’s sake, Clemson is nearly 30 yards better on average than it was against the run last season in Brent Venables’ final season coordinating a defense that finished second nationally in points allowed. Asked if he expected this year’s group to be this resistant to opposing ground games, Goodwin didn’t hesitate.
“No doubt,” he said. “I think with the talent that we have up front and the mindset that we have, I expect us to be up there. That says a lot about your defense. We talk about physicality, and there’s no better stat that measures that than rushing defense, I feel like.”
Clemson’s biggest issue has been on the back end in coverage. The lack of success teams have had running the ball as well as the issues they’ve seen Clemson’s secondary have on tape have led to offenses putting the ball in the air more often against the Tigers, who allowed nearly 17 yards per completion to Wake Forest a couple of games ago and are still playing with veteran cornerbacks Sheridan Jones (stinger) and Malcolm Greene (undisclosed).
Clemson had a bounceback performance against NC State by allowing less than 9 yards per completion and holding 279 total yards. But the Tigers, who’ve had to defend the second-most passes in the ACC (455), still rank 106th nationally in pass defense, allowing a conference-worst 263 yards per game through the air.
“There is a flipside to it,” Goodwin said. “No doubt.”
Still, Goodwin wants his front seven setting the tone for the entire group by continuing to try to make offenses one-dimensional.
“Just being able to be up there (in rush defense), hopefully we continue that trend throughout the second half of the season,” Goodwin said.
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